We, from the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights (STAND) in MSU-IIT, express our utmost grief and sorrow over the death of our beloved comrade Kemberly Jul Luna.

Kemberly, or “Kimay,” as she was known to her friends and comrades, was an AB English student in MSU-IIT. Known for her beauty and intellect, Kimay gained a lot of friends inside the school and out and has shown a lot of talent. She was a high school valedictorian and has participated in a lot of academic and cultural events. She was, for a time, a member of MSU-IIT’s Kalimulan, a cultural dance group.

She was also an active member of the Catholic Center Campus Ministry, where she became a leader of the Educational Committee. There, amidst the daily masses, boarding house meetings and other activities, she concluded that faith without action is dead. She always sought for ways to show that her Christian faith will not be confined to empty words and prayers, but will be brought out to the real world and be coupled by relevant action based on concrete conditions. She believed that faith should not be a lifeless dogma. She believed that just like Jesus, one must bring faith to serving the people— without thought of oneself. And just like Jesus, to die in service of the poor and oppressed.

She joined LFS early in 2008 and had been an active participant in the League’s many activities, including the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission (NIHM) of October 2008 in the face of humanitarian crises plaguing the war-stricken Moroland. She was part of the local secretariat and headed the area preparation committee in Poona Piagapo, one of the target municipalities for the Mission. Daring as always, Kimay did not hesitate entering the war-torn village of Tagoranao to uncover the effects of indiscriminate aerial bombing and militarization in the area. She also convinced one of the victims to make a testimony openly on the events in the affected areas in Lanao.

She actively joined the “No to All-Out War” campaign and various other campaigns, including the campaign against US intervention in the country and militarization of peasant and Moro communities.

At the opening of the first semester, she was chosen as the ad hoc chairperson of STAND-IIT. From then on she brought the cry of the youth and student sector in classroom and group discussions and out to the streets in rallies where she acted as STAND-IIT’s official spokesperson.

Kemberly was a very good example to her comrades and to the people around her. She showed youthful fervor and gave her heart to everything she did inside the organization. She was once a quite heavy drinker and a late riser as an ordinary student, but when she joined the League, she showed exemplary effort to remould and do away with her old habits. She shelled herself off of all the petty-bourgeois individualism.

At the opening of the second semester, we found out that she did not enroll. Later, she asked for her resignation as STAND-IIT chairperson, saying that she would stop school and do full-time peasant organizing work with KASAMA-Bukidnon, a province-wide peasant organization. She stood firm with her decision, saying she would like to do more in service of the poor, and that she could only do that in the countryside, where the majority of the poorest people live. On January 2009, after a short Christmas visit to her family in Surigao, Kemberly went off to Bukidnon to start her community work. She promised however that she would maintain correspondence with us.

On August 2009, we received a letter from her saying that she left KASAMA-Bukidnon but did not say where she went to and that she is happy where she was at that time, and that she has learned to love the peasant masses more with each day she lives with them. Kimay also happily shared to us her experiences in the peasant communities, from helping the peasants harvest corn to teaching them to read and write and do a little arithmetic, since literacy in the area is extremely low. She was also known to the people in the community as a health worker, often called as “Ma’am Nurse.”

Kimay is a true “iskolar ng bayan,” who did not waste the people’s tax money spent for her education only for personal ambitions, but used her time, talent and intellect in service of the of the people. She traded her comfortable life of night parties and hangovers for the cold, harsh and mosquito-ridden mountains of Bukidnon because she knew that she is in the right path.

At mid-December last year, we learned that Kemberly was missing through a report from Karapatan-Bukidnon Chapter, a human rights organization. A number of LFS and STAND-IIT members went to Bukidnon to join the search. We searched for her in the camp of the 403rd Inf Bde, 4th ID, PA but the officials of the brigade prevented us from entering the camp and denied that Kemberly is in their hands. During the middle of the search however, we learned that Kemberly died in an encounter with elements of the Philippine Army in Sitio Bulacao, Brgy. Concepcion, Valencia City. She was a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).

We found Kimay’s corpse lying with a few others in the middle of the forest of Bulacao, unattended by the state forces who were bound by agreement to respect the casualties of war, combatant or not.

But Kimay died an honorable death. She died because she fought for what she believes in until the very last minute of her life. She chose the path of armed struggle, firmly believing that there is no greater form of struggle to advance the interests of the toiling masses.

She broke the stereotype that the New People’s Army is a pack of delinquents— of tramps who lack a better future.

We salute Kimay for her determination. She was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice— all for the interest of the people without thinking of herself. She has proven that this rotten social system breeds unrest and many of the younger generation long for a better society that is based on social justice. This system pushes many of our youth to take up arms to achieve the national democratic goal. We believe that her death poses a challenge to all of us— that unless we make steps to address the root problems of our society, more and more young people will follow Kemberly’s footsteps in the days to come.

We also salute her parents, who were in deep pain, but calmly accepted her fate. They respected her decision to choose the path less traveled.

The League of Filipino Students and STAND-IIT vow to pursue the national democratic struggle, not just because this is precious to Kemberly, but because we believe in its relevance in answering today’s basic social problems. We stand firm, as Kimay did, that a true people’s scholar should not confine himself/herself inside the four walls of the classroom and study empty theories on the chalkboard. A true scholar uses his/her talents and intellect to serve the studentry, as well as the broad masses of the people. She never let her schooling interfere with her education.

Long live the memory of Kemberly Jul Luna! Long live the national democratic struggle!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

For the longest time of my debating career life I had worked hard so much (too much even) to make it to the higher echelons of the debating world (I thank webster for the wonderful synonyms). I started debating in 5th grade in St. Michael's College wherein I was the only elementary student who got in the debate org back at those times (hello to you). Then there was the angst - ridden highschool life. With Celeste, we made champion at 2005 palakasan. Wait, or was it 2004? Anyways, our trophy is in that stupid cabinet in IDS who by the way never even cared to subsidized at least part of the registration because all it cared about was that stupid friggin cheerdance which by the way is suppose to be the opposite of all that's intellectual and sane in this world *breathe breathe breathe*.....

Anyways, my point is at that time winning that debate competition vs college students was such a big deal for me. I freakin vowed to myself I would be better, harder, hard core-rer debater when I get to college.

College. Ah yes, it was like only yesterday when I realized that we/I were in this thick fog of illusion that we were at the top of our game. We never realized that we suck. We were lowlives. Parameciums. Pulutan. Nada. Nada. We suck. Wait, I said that already.

I stagnated. I hated that so much. Lemme rephrase, I FREAKIN hated that so much. I wasted so much time in my life talking, not debating. Paying for P2500 or P5000 just to lose at competitions. Worse was that the "administrators" could not even see that we stagnated, suffered, and scarred our dreams in their hands. *now would be a good time to get some chocolates amidst flashback*

And it was on my 4th year. My last year (double crosses fingers) in college where some people actually cared to save us from those hands. Where the debaters in MSU - IIT were salvaged and came out new, fresh, and ass - kickers. I was one of those debaters who was given a new lease on my debating life.

I could not begin to describe how much debate has shaped my life since prenatal. How much I love it. I eat, sleep, talk debate. If I could make a religion I would name it debatarei (lol). It's not just an extra-curricular thing for geeks anymore (but hey, I do have a life!). It's more than that. It's a part of me. Rei = debate. or Rei = prettysexyhotsmartchic. Whichever works for you.

And so I can't just help but ask out loud. WHY NOW??? WHY JUST NOW WHEN I'M ABOUT TO GRADUATE AND FACE THE REAL WORLD AND SHIT?!

Why couldn't Sir Mike and the rest "find us" when we were still freshmeat/freshmens and still had lot's of time to cultivate our skills and join competitions?! Why?!?!?!?!?!?!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The following quotations may be seen as representing a range of opinion in a debate about the role of English as an international language:

"since no cultural requirements are tied to the learning of English, you canlearn it and use it without having to subscribe to another set of values […]English is the least localized of all languages in the world today.Spoken almost everywhere in the world to some degree, and tied to no particular social,political, economic or religions system, or to a specific racial or cultural group,English belongs to everyone or to no one, or it at least is quite often regarded as having this property.” Wardaugh, R. (1987)

“What is at stake when English spreads is not merely the substitution ordisplacement of one language by another but the imposition of new ‘mentalstructures’ through English. This is in fact an intrinsic part of ‘modernization’ and ‘nation-building’, a logical consequence of ELT. Yet the implications ofthis have scarcely penetrated into ELT research or teaching methodology. Cross-cultural studies have never formed part of the core of ELT as an academic discipline,nor even any principled consideration of what educational implications might followfrom an awareness of this aspect of English linguistic imperialism.” Phillipson, R. (1992)

“there have been comments made about other structural aspects, too, such as the absence in English grammar of a system of coding social class differences,which make the language appear more ’democratic’ to those who speak a language (e.g. Javanese)that does express an intricate system of class relationships.” Crystal, D. (1997)

Between Language, Society and Culture

Language plays a very important role in our everyday life. Not only is linguistic behavior the central focus of many social settings, but it is also on linguistic evidence that we base many of our evaluations of the world around us. Language is obviously one of the most sophisticated cognitive skills that humans possess, and one of the most apparent differences between the human species and other animal species. No surprise, then, that language is often considered the main clue to the secrets of the mind. After all, it is through language that our mind expresses itself. It is with language that we can study the mind. Language then is indissolubly linked with the members of the society in which it is spoken, and social factors are reflected in one’s speech. And because language plays such an important role in the development of a certain society and its culture it is only vital that one should assess whether or not the usage of a foreign language such as English is something to be celebrated in totality or something that is indeed repressive and marginalizes indigenous languages.

The Spread of English through Globalization

In an era of increased communication through the telephone, fax machine, television, and modem, the world is becoming more and more globally oriented. Businesses, families, friends, and many other groups with common interests are able to form small "tele-" or "cyber-" communities that transcend geographic boundaries. Yet, despite our ability to transmit information across oceans, communication still relies on language to mediate interchange between individuals within these communities. Information is useless if it cannot be processed and understood. Therefore, in order to achieve true and complete globalization, we would have to eliminate language barriers and develop a universal standard according to which everyone could interact at the same level of understanding. As English has moved towards its zenith, the status of the other principal languages has changed. Even though they are spoken by more people today than ever before, they have been demoted, degraded in relation to English. Today, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Russian, etc., more or less have the status of regional languages, national languages that can be used beyond their national frontiers. But, they are losing their currency as the language of international communication, formal and informal: both in political and commercial contexts and in intercultural exchanges, as bridges between people who cross cultural frontiers or who like to enrich their lives with media products from abroad.

Linguistic homogenization is not only a consequence of global imperial domination; the process of nation-building has also contributed. Frequently, the creation of nation states has involved the adoption of a single national language, whereupon education and cultural expressions in other dialects and languages within the national frontiers have ceased. Not infrequently, use of subordinate languages and dialects has been forbidden or subject to political sanctions. Thus, globalization and the predominance of English at the expense of other languages is nothing new. It is rather a question of a radicalization and acceleration of a centuries-long trend, in which local varieties of language die out, and more universal varieties survive.

English as “Value – Free” VS English as Marginalizing

What was stated above can be seen in two levels: (1) Should the globalization of English be seen as the primary perpetrator of diminishing usage of local languages given the fact that this pattern of linguistic homogenization is also a result of national policies thereby saying that the people themselves (or the government at that) want to emphasize a foreign language first other than their own? Second, is “owning” the English the only way not to make it an oppressive language?

If we look at the first fold of the analysis, one might argue that indeed, it is our own fault. Why we had to develop a foreign language and abandon our own unique languages. But sadly, reality isn’t that simple especially that since we are in a third world country, economy and society mostly go in a Marxist view saying that the economy dictates society. By that, it means that if we have to ordain sustainable development we have to be globally competitive which means providing an avenue for a large percentage of foreign investors. Since this “relationship” means that we are on a leash from our first world masters, we have to be able to develop a society that is more than willing to serve their needs thus the sprouting of call centers in the Philippines. I concede in one point that English may have a democratizing effect and it actually improves at some point too our economic crises. But the question remains, is this in the long – run something to be celebrated even if economic problems will be solved?

I dare say NO. Because in the first place I strongly believe that this is not just an economic problem that has to be dealt with but it goes on deeper. Economy is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem primarily involves to the whole way of thinking and how the society is cultivated. Perhaps because of the fusion of several colonizers in the Philippines, then again, past is past and what matters most is what we do in the present that will prove to be a changing factor in the future. What we need to realize is that it is impossible to learn English without it being associated to western values, western culture, and such. But what is so bad about it? Primarily because our society (via our economic status) is designed to patronize them since time immemorial and government has been doing nothing but lip service in concentrating efforts to uplift nationalistic morale especially when it comes to saving endangered languages in the Philippines. I believe that we should not, at all cost, continue to use the excuse of us being colonized over and over to cover up for insufficient government programs to safeguard culture and society. This is important because in the end, when a certain state becomes economically stable, there will be a paradigm shift, it is the society that dictates the economy. But what can society do when it was brought up by its parents to always be dependent?

It is tear-dropping to know how some people virtually sacrifice their lives just to be able to use their own language. Take the Kurdish people of Turkey for example; government has outlawed the use of Kurdish language in favor of a national language which is Turkish. Kurds have fought and died for this right to be returned to them thereby showing to the world that their language is indeed something to be proud of and worth dying for. It is quite ironic in the Philippines that we let our own languages die right in our faces (although I know the irony that I am using English right now).

Next, we look at the second prong of the analysis: Is owning the English language the only way in avoiding it to becoming an oppressive language?There is some sound truth when Wardaugh said that it transcends everything because people have owned the English language much like a property. But this does not necessarily mean that one cannot subscribe to its attached western values too (as what was already discussed). What this implies is that by owning we become to see ourselves as a society who speaks English not just for economic sustenance but also as a means of communication. Although, this is only applicable to the educated population and leaves the poverty – stricken populace behind. Thereby creating another complicated sets of problems.

In southern California, there is a huge population of Chinese immigrants who are unwilling to learn English. Because of this, they created a sub – culture inside the state providing their own Chinese lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. in that way they do not have to interact other languages.

In conclusion, I’m not saying that we should totally close our doors to the outside world We should in some way still have an avenue to be globally competitive, but it should be in due time. We are not ready for industrialization and globalization. Our government should have the certain level of sobriety to be able to realize the moral degradation of neglecting our own cultural values because in turn this will hurt the economy. We will become no more that dogs on a leash to our first world masters.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

There’s a saying among Christians and non-Muslims in Mindanao that if you give your hand to most Moros, they will want the whole arm.

President Gloria thought that by conceding part of Mindanao to these types, they would throw away their guns to live in peace.

The President, who’s part Mindanawon, should have known that appeasement would be taken as a sign of weakness.

Most Moros love war. Independence is just their excuse for waging war.

Give them Mindanao and they would want to have Luzon and the Visayas as well.

Fighting them would stop their insatiable appetite.

No, they should not only be fought, they should be crushed!

--------------------------

I am just really freakin appalled how senseless people could be. Especially when it comes to what's supposedly "responsible journalism". This article was in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (follow the link above to read the full article) a supposedly (my new favorite word for this post) responsible and esteemed newspaper. After reading the article above, i just wanted to punch his nose and could not care less being called Fedayeen anymore (hah!). But I went to reflect and instead converted my wonderful frustration and anger to writing the PDI.

In which I wrote:

I wish to express my great disappointment at the article that I have copied.Whether or not the supposed section is for opinions, PDI should still have not posted such an article that incites anger and discrimination to the people.Coming from IliganCity, I have seen first hand what this kind of speech does to the people. This only increases the christian - muslim hostilities in this region.Therefore we do not need anymore tensions coming from this kind of posts that would be read extensively through out the Philippines given your prestige as a newspaper.

What Metro people should understand (I am assuming the writer is from Manila since the section is named "Metro")is that the problem is far more complicated than just doing an all out war.We have to take into consideration the legal claims of The Bangsamoro people. They have been indeed driven out of their ancestral domain, some could not enroll in schools who require birth certificates because birth certificates are not present in a Muslim setting, etc.This is the historical reality of it,and not simply making "Independence as an excuse for waging war".

Before the hostilities, IliganCity is one of the melting pots of Mindanao where Lumads, Christians, and Moro's live together peacefully. We know by heart that a person who will say "that most moros love war" is just plain ignorant and crass to make such statements.We have always believed that this is not a religious war because all religions seek peace and understanding. Instead, this is merely a political one.

I urge PDI to stricly screen your posts and condemn writings such as the one mentioned. It brings more damage to our already tattered homeland. Be more responsible.

Thank you.

P.S

If you find this article also disturbing I urge you to write a feedback to PDI too.

Baila Conmigo

I write in hopes that I may be able to escape in the liminal present and existentialist dread I feel everyday.
and because I'm on my way to becoming a facebook whore, so here (lol) www.facebook.com/heleinavolkova